Protector cover for trucks



June 9, 1936. w. D. MOORE I PROTECTOR COVER FOR TRUCKS Filed Feb. 28,1935' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Wee lie?" D. M00712 76 76 zld 2.

June 9, 1936.

W. D. MOORE PROTECTOR COVER FOR TRUCKS Filed Feb; 28, 1955 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Wa l fier D- MO 07" e,

Patented June 9, 1936 UNITED "STATES PAT Em orrrce 2 Claims.

Y This invention relates ,to improvements in vehicie bodies andparticularly to bodies of the open top type used ontrucks for deliveryof commodities such as coal, coke and the like.

One object of the invention'isto prevent the loss, either accidentallyor by theft, of goods from an open top truck or vehicle; body duringtransportation from vendor to purchaser.

A further object of theinvention is to provide a vehicle or truck bodyof the open top type in which the goods of 'tWO purchasers can ,beplaced for delivery to the respective purchasers but in which the twoallotments of goods will be segregated andneithercan be removed from thevehicle except under supervision. of the purchaser.

More specifically, theinvention contemplates a delivery truck having .anopen top body divided into compartments by one or more removablepartitions and screen like coverings for said compartments, saidcoverings each comprising sections hinged to the sides of the body andfoldable over goods in the compartments in which position they arelocked by key actuated means to prevent the goods being displacedaccidentally or removed by theft. Preferably the removable partitiondivides the body into front and rear compartments and the edge of thecovering for the front compartment extends over the partition so thatthe front covering when locked in closed position prevents removal ofthe partition Further, the sections of each covering are provided withmeans for interlocking the two sections together and the covering forthe rear compartment is provided with projections which extend over thefront cover sections.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certaindetails of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, allas will hereinafter be more fully described and the novel featuresthereof particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a truck body with the present inventioninstalled thereon, the compartment covers .being closed;

Fig. 2 is a top plan View;

Fig. 3 is a rear view;

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section on line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective of the interlocking element for the twosections of each cover;

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view on the line 6--$ of Fig. 1,illustrating the interlocking extension on the rear cover projectingover the front cover;

and

Fig. 7 is a detail view. of the locking means for the tail gate orpivoted rear end wall of vthebody.

A portion only of the truck chassis is illustrated andmounted thereon inany suitable manner is the truck body comprising the sidewalls. [0;frontwall l l and the rear wall composed ofan upper section l2 pivotedon a lower section i3 which, in turn, is hinged on the bottom of thebody.

Preferably, the interior of thebody isdivi'ded into front and reareompartmentsby a partition l-i removable vertically from said. body.'IIhepartition is positionedwithin the bodyby angle guides l5.

Each compartment is preferably provided with a separate topcoveringorprotector and. each coveringis preferably formedofsectionshinged to the side walls of thebody. Forinstanceythe rearcompartment. cover is, composed. of two frames [6, ll pivoted to thesides It! and each frame has a wire mesh material l8 secured therein sothat when the frames are swung toward each other over the body theyclose the rear compartment and prevent displacement or removal of goodstherefrom. Likewise, the front compartment is provided with a covercomposed of frames I6 Il and wire mesh [8, hinged to sides Ill. The twosections of each cover are locked together in closed position to preventunauthorized access thereto. As indicated sections l 6, I1, are providedwith hasps l9 and sections [6 H with hasps 20 and said covers aresecured in closed position by key actuated locks 2|, 22, engaging insaid hasps. It is usual practice to place the goods of one purchaser inone compartment and those of a second purchaser in the othercompartment. For this reason the locks 2| and 22 are controlled bydifferent keys. This arrangement is preferred because in using thepresent invention on, say, coal delivery trucks, it is contemplated thatthe key for each compartment will be placed in a sealed envelope afterthe compartments are closed and said envelopes given to the truck driverwho willdeliver them to the respective purchasers who can either unlockthe compartment containing their coal or can, at least, make aninspection before the compartment is unlocked.

To further lend rigidity to the several cover sections, when closed, oneframe of each pair is provided with one or more bail-like members 23 inwhich the other frame of said pair is received, when swung to closingposition. Also, the frames of the rear compartment cover are providedwith extensions 24 adapted to project over the front compartment coverframes.

It will be observed that the several frames abties of all four sides ofthe body.

-solutely preclude access to the compartments when closed astheyengagethe upper extremi- It will also be observed that the rearedges of the front cover frames overlie the partition l4 so that thelatter "cannot be removed until thefront cover is unlockedand opened.Likewise, the upper hinged section ll of the rear wall or gate isprovided with one or more locking fingers 25 adapted to project throughthe mesh material ofthe rear compartment cover sections when the latterare closed, thus requiring this coverrto be unlocked and opened beforethe contents of the rear com-' 'partment can be removed. Of course,other auxiliary means such as'hooks 26 may be used'for taking the majorportion ofthe stresses placed r V on the hinged rear wall when thelatter is closed,

" As before intimated, thelp'referred embodiment of" the invention isespecially adapted for use in 'delivery trucks for coal, coke, etc. Thecoal purchases of two customers can be placed in the two compartmentsand the covers closed and locked.

The keys are then sealed in envelopes and turned 25' v over to the truckdriver. Upon'arriving at the 7 the driver delivers the envelopecontaining the" {key for said compartment to that customer who 'mayeither break the seal of the envelope and destination of the coalin therear compartment,

unlock the cover or may permit'the driver to do -so after making aninspection of the contents of the compartment. In either case; thecustomer can'be assured that the contents of the compartment haveremained intact: before accepting the same." After'the contents 'of therear compartment are discharged, the contents of the front compartmentare delivered with the same procedure. Both purchasers are thus assuredthat they have received full measure.

to form top closures for said compartments when the frames are swunginwardly over said body, the rear ends of the frames for the rear com-10 partment overlying the removable rear 'wall when in closed position,and the rear ends of the front compartment frames overlying theremovable partition, interlocking elements connecting the frames of eachcompartment, members on the rear compartment frames overlying the rearends of the front compartment frames, and

separate locking means for locking together the two frames of eachcompartment. 7

2. The combination of an opentop vehicle body havinga removable rear endwall and a removable partition dividing said body intofront and rearcompartments, the upper portion of said rear wall being pivotallyconnected to the 5 lower portion thereof, a pair of frames for eachcompartment pivoted to the side walls of the body, mesh material onsaidframes adapted to form top closures for said compartments when theframes are swung inwardly over said body,

japrojection onthe pivoted section of the rear wall extending throughthe mesh of one 'of the rear compartment covers, whereby, said pivotedsectionis heldagainst movement by said cover,

and separate key-controlled, locking devices for the covers of saidcompartments.

WALTER D. MOORE.

